Transfer bar and locking mechanism



July 16, 1963 G. J. VILLHARD 3,097,652

TRANSFER BAR AND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 3, 1959 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 A/YEA/TOE! 64 6501265 J. V/LLHHRQ WM/WW FirrolaNEYs July 16, 1963 G.J.V|LLHARD 3,097,652

TRANSFER BAR AND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A rllII'lllllllllllllllllllllllq IIIIIIIIIII. vu-

A p I 1, 11111111111. 1: u 'IIIIIII'I 1 g'Il/II WW All llllh INVENTOR: GEORGE J. V/LLHRR 5/ 9L United States Patent 3,097,652 TRANSFER 'BAR AND LOCKING MECHANISM George JosephVillhard, St. Johns, Mo., assignor to *Loose Leaf Metals (2ompany, St: Louis, Mo., ncorporation of 'Missouri Filed Sept. 3,1959,Ser. No. 837,855 2 Claims. .(Cl. 1298) The present invention-relates generally to loose'leaf .metals, and .more particularly to a novel transfer bar .and locking mechanism :for a loose leaf metal forming partof acatalogue .binder which snaps into ioclsed position .on closingthe binder, orthe like.

.In brief, the present novel transfer'bar and locking mechanism comprises a transfer bar to which is secured :in spaeedrelation-asecond bar. Disposed between said transfer ibariandl second bar for limited longitudinal reciprocal movement is a latch' bar. Spring means trapped .betweenthe-transfer bar and the secondbar and disposed in an lopeningain the latch bar biases the latch bar .towards .one extreme position of movement. Upon closing of the .binder in which the unit is mounted as part of the looseleafmetah the locking mechanism automatically receives two .studs in lockedvrelation. The studs may be .nrovedinto engagement With the latch bar from the side "locking mechanism..formed as va unit including trapped spring means lbiasing .a .latch .bar towards locked .position, and in which .thelatch bar :autornaticallyreceives .two studs in lockingntelation when moved towards it from the side or from above.

Another object is :to provide a novel transfer bar and locking mechanism formed as a unit including trapped spring means biasing the latch bar towards locked position, and means permitting ready re-engagement of the latch bar with the metal.

Another object is to provide a novel transfer bar and locking mechanism formed as a unit, which is adapted to function as intended over a long period of use without repair.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom edge view of a catalogue binder incorporating the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary bottom edge view similar to FIGURE 1 with the top cover folded back;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom edge view of the catalogue binder of FIGURE 1 open and in partially expanded posi tion, the sheets to the right and the bottom cover being broken away to conserve space;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary bottom edge view of the catalogue binder of FIGURE 1 illustrating the transfer bar and! locking mechanism detached;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the said catalogue binder with the elements in the position of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 77 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal crossasecti-onal view taken on substantially the line 8-8 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 9-9 of FIGURE '4;

FIGURE '10 is an edge view of the novel transfer bar and locking mechanism;

FIGURE .11 is a cross-sectional view on substantially theline 11T11io f FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a plan view of the present latch bar;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view through said oatalogue binderillustratinga headedstud mounted on a supporting plate of the metal about to engage the-latch bar;

FIGURE 14 is an enlargedfragmentar-y view similar to FIGURE '13 showing the headed stud! engaging the latch bar; and

FIGURE '15 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on substantially the 'line1515 of FIGURE 14.

Referringto the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, "20 lindicatesgenerallya catalogue binder which includes a loose leaf metal '22 incorporating the novel transfer bar and locking mechanism 24, a back cover'26, and afront cover 28.

The front cover'28 includes a main front portion 30 and a secondary portion 31 hinged |at.32. Integral and rigid with the secondary portion ,31 is an end portion 33.

The rear cover 26 includes a main portion 36 and a secondary portion 37 hinged at '38. Hinged at '39 to the secondary portion 37 'is an end portion 40.

The loose leaf metal 22 includes in addition to the novel transfer bar and locking mechanism 24 a plate '42 of right angle cro ssasection comprising a cover portion 43 secured by rivets '44 to the 'front eoversecondary portion 31 and an end portion 45'having opposed corner ears '46. The-ears 46 engage'headed stop posts 48 mounted on the end portion '39 to limit asliding telescopic relation be tween the end portions 33 and '39, as is clear from the drawings, and as is usual in such binders. Secured to the secondary portion 37 at right-anglesthereto are three posts 50, the outer twoibeinghollow and the inner one being solid, as :is customary. Two spaced conical headed studs 52 are secured to the corner portion 43 of the plate 42, which are engaged by the locking mechanism 24 in locked position. Slots 53 are formed in one edge of the cover portion 43 to receive rivet heads described below.

The novel transfer bar and locking mechanism 24 comprises a transfer bar 54 on which are mounted three posts 55, the center being hollow and the outer two solid. Spaced slots 56 extend inwardly from one edge. A secondary bar 58 is secured to the transfer bar 54in spaced relation thereto by rivets 59 and includes spaced slots 60 extending inwardly from one edge in opposed relation to the slots 56. A longitudinally extending groove 61 is formed in the secondary bar 58 which receives a compression spring 62 (FIG. 7). A latch bar 64 is disposed between the transfer bar 54 and the secondary bar 58, which has an elongated closed slot 65 receiving the spring 62, four short closed slots 66 receiving the rivets 59, and two open slots 67 of the configuration clearly shown in FIGURE 12. The slot 65 is just long enough to receive the spring 62 in its expanded position. Each slot 67 includes a cam nose 68. A thumb piece 70 is formed at one end of the latch bar 64. It is clear from the foregoing that the latch bar 64 is capable of limited reciprocal movement and that its normal position is as shown in FIGURES 5 and 11 under the bias of the spring 62 in either locked or released relation.

The operation of the device follows from the foregoing. When the binder 20 is in locked relation, FIG- URES 1-3, the latch bar 64 has its open slots 67 in engagement with the conical headed stud-s 52. To release the transfer :bar 54 to permit the binder 20 to assume the position of FIGURE 4, the thumb piece 70 is pushed 3 inwardly against the force of the spring 62, which moves the slots 67 out of engagement with the studs 52. Thereupon, the transfer bar 54 and the locking mechanism 24 may be pulled away from the studs 52 to the position of FIGURE 4.

To lock the binder 20, the parts may be disposed as shown in FIGURE 13, and the studs 52 moved downwardly into the slots 67, the conical heads thereof automatically deflecting the latch bar 64 and the spring returning the same into engagement with the shafts of the studs 52 beneath the heads. Or the front cover may be folded into position on sheets 72 and moved to the right, bringing the studs 52 against the cam noses 68 of the slots 67 to automatically deflect the latch bar 64 and permit the studs 52 to move into the slots 67, whereupon the spring 62 returns the latch bar 64 to locked position.

The binder 20 may be of the catalogue type as shown, or of other specific constructions.

It is manifest from the foregoing that a transfer bar and locking mechanism have been provided which fulfill the objects and advantages sought.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings have :been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a binder having an upper side, a lower side and an end between the upper and lower sides, a locking mechanism comprising a transfer bar, said transfer bar including spaced sheet receiving posts supported by the lower side of the binder, a latch plate mounted adjacent the transfer bar, pin and slot connecting means between the latch plate and transfer bar to permit restricted sliding movement of the latch plate relative .to the transfer bar, spring means for biasing he latch plate to one extreme of its sliding movement as permitted by the pin and slot connecting means, a plurality of studs extending from the upper side toward the lower side of the binder when the binder is closed, each stud having a shaft and an enlarged head on the end of the shaft, a plurality of recesses in the transfer bar, each recess being opposite a stud and each recess opening through the side of the transfer har nearest the end of the hinder, the width of each recess as measured in a direction parallel to the end of the binder being greater than the diameter of the stud heads, the latch plate having a plurality of slots corresponding to the number of studs, each slot having a wide portion opening to the side of the latch plate nearest the end of the binder and wider than the diameter of the stud heads, each slot also having an extension from the side of the slot portion opposite the direction toward which the latch plate is biased by the spring means, the slot extension being large enough to receive the shaft of a stud but being smaller than the stud head, the slot extensions being positioned directly opposite the stud heads when the latch plate is in the aforementioned one extreme, and a lever on the latch plate for sliding the latch plate against the force of the spring means to move the wide slot portions to positions directly opposite the stud heads.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the latch plate has cam surfaces adjacent the edges of the wide slot portions for engagement by the shafts of the studs when the studs are moved sideways toward the latch plate, the cam surfaces being on the same sides of the 'wide slot portions as are the slot extensions whereby the studs when pressed against the latch plate cause the latch plate to slide in opposition to the force .of the spring means until the stud shafts are opposite the slot extensions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,151,024 Magin Aug. 24, 1915 1,205,369 Magin Nov. 21, 1916 1,439,264 Shade Dec. 19, 1922 2,017,218 Reynolds Oct. 15, 1935 2,637,323 Lockwood May 5, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,773 Australia July 15, 1946 

1. IN A BINDER HAVING AN UPPER SIDE, A LOWER SIDE AND AND END BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER SIDES, A LOCKING MECHANISM COMPRISING A TRANSFER BAR, SAID TRANSFER BAR INCLUDING SPACED SHEET RECEIVING POSTS SUPPORTED BY THE LOWER SIDE OF THE BINDER, A LTCH PLATE MOUNTED ADJACENT THE TRANSFER BAR, PIN AND SLOT CONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN THE LATCH PLATE AND TRANSFER BAR TO PERMIT RESTRICTED SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE LATCH PLATE RELATIVE TO THE TRANSFER BAR, SPRING MEANS FOR BIASING HE LATCH PLATE TO ONE EXTREME OF ITS SLIDING MOVEMENT AS PERMITTED BY THE PIN AND SLOT CONNECTING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF STUDS EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER SIDE TOWARD THE LOWER SIDE OF THE BINDER WHEN THE BINDER IS CLOSED, EACH STUD HAVING A SHAFT AND AN ENLARGED HEAD ON THE END OF THE SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF RECESSES IN THE TRANSFER BAR, EACH RECESS BEING OPPOSITE A STUD AND EACH RECESS OPENING THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE TRANSFER BAR NEAREST THE END OF THE BINDER, THE WIDTH OF EACH RECESS AS MEASURED IN A DIRECTION PARELLEL TO THE END OF THE BINDER BING GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE STUD HEADS, THE LATCH PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER OF STUDS, EACH SLOT HAVING A WIDE PORTION OPENING TO THE SIDE OF THE LATCH PLATE NEAREST THE END OF THE BINDER AND WIDER THAN THE DIAMETER FO THE STUD HEADS, EACH SLOT ALSO HAVING AN EXTENSION FROM THE SIDE OF THE SLOT PORTION OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION TOWARD WHICH THE LATCH PLATE IS BIASED BY THE SPRING MEANS, THE SLOT EXTENSION BEING LARGE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THE SHAFT OF A STUD BUT BEING SMALLER THAN THE STUD HEAD, THE SLOT EXTENSIONS BEING POSITIONED DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE STUD HEADS WHEN THE LATCH PLATE IS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED ONE EXTREME, AND A LEVER ON THE LATCH PLATE FOR SLIDING THE LATCH PLATE AGAINST THE FORCE OF THE SPRING MEANS TO MOVE THE WIDE SLOT PORTIONS TO POSITIONS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE STUD HEADS. 